Cashless gaming system: apparatus and method

1. A method for transferring credits to and from gaming devices in data communication with an account database, the method comprising: creating a player account in the account database, including player account balance information; providing access to the player account balance information to a player at a player interface at one of the gaming devices in response to a first set of actions by the player, wherein the first-set of actions include operably inserting a player card into the gaming device, and entering a corresponding identification code at the player interface to initiate game play at the gaming device; storing any credit applied by the player as modified by play of the gaming device on a credit meter associated with the gaming device; executing game play of one or more games at the gaming device while concurrently allowing continuous access to the player account balance information by the player at the player interface of the gaming device during the execution of the game play in response to continuous operable insertion of the player card in the gaming device; and terminating the access to the player account balance information to the player at the player interface of the gaming device that the player has finished playing the gaming device, and wherein the player is prompted to input-the identification code using the player interface in response to detection that the player has finished playing the gaming machine, wherein responsive to receiving the identification code, any credits on the credit meter of the gaming device are transferred to the account database to update the player account balance information, and wherein responsive to not receiving the identification code, any credits on the credit meter of the gaming device are not transferred to the account database and remain available on the credit meter for further game play on the gaming device without further entry of the identification code.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein providing access to the player account balance information comprises transmitting data representing the player account balance information over a network to a local memory associated with the gaming device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising allowing the player to transfer data from the credit meter to the player account in the local memory pursuant to updating the player account balance information.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising transferring data from the local memory to update the player account balance information in the account database in response to the second action.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: providing access to the player account in response to a further first action by the player at a second one of the gaming devices; and transferring credit in the player account to a credit meter associated with the second one of the gaming devices.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: receiving a request from the player through the player interface to redeem at least part of a balance stored in the player account; and paying the at least part of a balance at a location remote from the gaming devices.

7. A method for transferring credits from a gaming device connected by a network to an account database in a cashless gaming system which stores a plurality of player accounts accessible at the gaming devices, wherein the player accounts include player account balance information for respective players, the method comprising: providing access to the player account balance information at the gaming device in response to a first-set of actions by a player, wherein the first-set of actions include inserting a player card into the gaming device to an operable position and entry of a corresponding identification code at a player interface; in response to the first action, transmitting data representing the player account balance information from the account database in the cashless gaming system over the network to a local memory associated with the gaming device to enable representation of the player account balance to the player at the player interface of the gaming device; transferring at least part of the balance in the player account as credit to a credit meter associated with the gaming device; storing the transferred credit as modified by any play of the gaming device on the credit meter; executing game play of one or more games at the gaming device while concurrently allowing continuous access to the player account balance information by the player at the player interface of the gaming device during the execution of the game play in response to continuous operable insertion of the player card in the gaming device; detecting a player initiated request to transfer at least part of the balance stored on the credit meter to the player account during said continuous access; making the transfer to the player account in the account database in the cashless gaming system; and terminating access to the player account at the gaming device in response to detection that the player has finished playing the gaming device, wherein the player is prompted to input the identification code at the gaming device in response to the detection that the player has finished playing the gaming device, wherein responsive to receiving the identification code, any credits-on the credit meter are transferred to the account database to thereby update the player account balance information, and wherein responsive to not receiving the identification code, any credits on the credit meter are not transferred to the account database but remain available on the credit meter for further game play on the gaming device without further entry of the identification code.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein transferring credit to the player account comprises transferring data from the credit meter to the player account balance information stored in the local memory.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising transferring data representing the player account balance information from the local memory to the account database.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising: transferring at least part of the player balance to a second credit meter associated with a second gaming device in response to a further first action by a player at the second gaming device; and adding any prizes resulting from play of the second gaming device on the second credit meter.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising: receiving a request from the player to redeem at least part of a balance stored in the player account; and paying the at least part of a balance at a location remote from the gaming devices.